Apparatus for winding yarn into a package



July 11, 1967 v. E. GONSALVES APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN INTO A PACKAGE Filed Oct. 28, 1965 FIG. I

INVENTOR VICTOR EMANUEL GONSA LVES ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,330,492 APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN INTO A PACKAGE Victor E. Gonsalves, Arnhem, Netherlands, assignor to American Enlra Corporation, Enka, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 319,207 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Nov. 7, 1962,

4 Claims. (Cl. 242-43) This "invention relates to an apparatus for winding yarn into a package on a rotating bobbin, the yarn being fed to the rotating bobbin while being traversed backwards and forwards axially of the bobbin length to effect a build-up of yarn into a package, and more specifically to an apparatus for winding yarn into a package on a rotating bobbin wherein yarn fed to the rotating bobbin is caused to move backwards and forwards and traverse the length of the bobbin in response to flow of a gaseous medium directed thereagainst.

A yarn package-producing apparatus has been proposed which utilizes a gaseous actuating medium in the operation thereof and which comprises a cylinder positioned adjacent to a rotating bobbin with its length parallel to the bobbin length. See US. Patent No. 2,548,523 to Dyer et al. The cylinder is provided along its length with a slit therein, and a piston is located within the cylinder which is reciprocated by means of a gaseous fluid, such as compressed air. The cylinder is provided at each end thereof with a chamber to which a compressed air supply line is connected. A valve which opens when struck by the reciprocating piston is located between each end of the cylinder and each chamber. When the valve at the one end of the cylinder is struck and opened by the piston, compressed air flows from the nearby chamber into the cylinder whereby the direction of movement of the piston is reversed and said valve is caused to close. As soon as the piston reaches the other end of the cylinder, the valve at that end is struck and opened thereby, whereupon the piston is forced back in the opposite direction. Attached to the reciprocating piston is an extension which projects through the slit in the cylinder Wall. The outside end of the extension is constructed as a thread guide for thread fed to a rotating bobbin and is adapted to reciprocate axially of the length of the bobbin to produce a buildup of yarn into a package.

Yarn winding apparatus of the above type, however, have not provided completely satisfactory results in that at the reversing points of the traverse motion of the thread guide the relatively great mass of the piston must be decelerated and then accelerated, which gives rise to difficulties in obtaining and/ or operating satisfactory at high winding speeds, particularly if a regularly shaped yarn package is desired to be obtained. Moreover, the repeated knocking open of the valves by the piston undesirably causes the device to wear out relatively rapidly and also gives rise to a considerable amount of annoying noise. Such problems are aggravated by the fact that with such apparatus generally, in order to strike open the valves, the piston must move at a relatively high speed.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is excellently adapted for use in winding yarn into a package.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of relatively simple construction which advantageously is adapted to efliciently wind yarn into a package on a rotating spindle or bobbin.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which advantageously is adapted to wind yarn into a package on a rotating spindle or bobbin at high winding speeds.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of efliciently attaining a rapid reversal in the traverse motion of yarn being wound into a package on a rotating spindle or bobbin. I It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which advantageously is capable of winding yarn onto a rotating spindle or bobbin to provide a regularly shaped yarn package.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for winding yarn into a package on a rotating spindle or bobbin in which the parts thereof are subjected to a relatively low amount of wear as compared to yarn package-producing apparatus heretofore available.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

The present invention provides an apparatus for winding yarn into a package which comprises a rotating bobbin,

means for guiding said yarn onto said bobbin including a hollow tube member positioned adjacent said bobbin with the length thereof substantially parallel to the length of said bobbin, said tube member being provided with two spaced slits therein substantially parallel the length thereof, which slits are adapted to allow the passage of said yarn therethrough transverse to the length of said tube, two gaseous fluid discharging means each of which is located adjacent a different end of said tube member and communicates with the interior of said tube member for introducing a stream of gaseous fluid into said interior of said tube member, and means cooperating with said two gaseous fluid discharging means for controlling the discharge of said gaseous fluid therefrom so that gaseous fluid flows through said tube member in alternately reversing directions and said yarn is caused to be wound and built-up on said rotating bobbin in superimposed layers.

The apparatus of the present invention obviate the above-mentioned drawbacks of apparatus and techniques heretofore employed in producing yarn packages. The advantages obtained thereby are due primarily to the fact that the yarn traversing means, i.e., the gaseous fluid, is directly engaged with the thread and at the traverse direction reversing points only the inertia of the masses of the traveling thread and the gaseous fluid must be overcome in order to obtain a reversal of the traverse direction. Consequently, winding speeds of, for instance, 1,000 to 5,000 meters/minute can be applied without any difliculty and the accompanying traverse motion control can be attained with relatively little equipment wear and noise. The supplied thread in being directly displaced by the gaseous fluid flow has a free traverse motion, so that small fluctuations, if any, in the supply rate or the winding speed of the thread easily can be offset and are only reflected slightly in the winding pattern of the thread in the package. With the above-described known apparatus, however, the traverse motion of the thread is not quite as free, so that said small fluctuations in the ratio between the supply rate and the winding speed of the thread may lead to significant difficulties. With the method according to the invention said speed fluctuations could give rise to automatic pattern disturbance on the package. Moreover, the invention advantageously provides a simple, eflicient and inexpensive method for obtaining a regular yarn package of the desired shape.

In preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the invention the hollow tube member of the yarn guiding means is provided with expanded ends, and a discharge nozzle of a supply tube for the gaseous fluid medium discharges into each of said expanded ends. The tube member of the guiding means preferably is a cylindrical tube positioned a short distance from the package surface. More preferably the cylindrical tube has an inner diameter of a few millimeters, i.e., 3 mm., and an outer diameter of about 5 mm.

The width of the longitudinal slits in the tube preferably is a few tenths of a millimeter, for example, about 0.4 mm. As a result, in such embodiments the loss of gaseous fluid passed through the tube is relatively small, so that it advantageously is possible to use gaseous fluid pressures of below about 1 atmosphere gauge, preferably from about 0.5 to about 1 atmosphere gauge.

The winding bobbin of the apparatus advantageously is adjustably mounted in such a manner that the distance from the tube member of the thread guiding means to the outer circumference of a package being formed on the bobbin can be maintained constant.

The means of the present apparatus for controlling the discharge of the gaseous fluid into the tube member of the thread guiding means may include sensing devices, preferably photoelectric cells, located adjacent the ends of the tube member within the ends of the longitudinal slits. Each of the sensing devices represents an end of the traverse stroke of the thread as it is to be wound and built-up on the rotating bobbin. The sensing devices preferably are adapted to be adjusted with respect to their respective positions and may or may not be adapted for movement during the winding of a particular yarn package depending primarily upon the desired ultimate shape of the package. The sensing devices may be mounted on independent support members but preferably are mounted on the tube member of the thread guiding means.

Each of the sensing devices, preferably photo-electric cells, is adapted, when it is reached by the threads moving in a traverse direction under the influence of gaseous fluid introduced into the end of tube member opposite thereto, to emit a signal for causing, via a gaseous fluid flow control element, a surge or flow of the gaseous fluid medium through the tube member in the direction opposite to the preceding direction of flow thereby immediately reversing the direction of traverse movement of the thread.

In certain preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the invention the thread guiding means includes a correction device which serves to adjust the position of a moveable thread guide element which is in contact with the thread and which is placed between the device feeding the thread to the guiding means and the spindle. The thread guide element is positioned with respect to the thread feeding device and the spindle so that the direction of travel of the thread as it passes the thread guide element is altered and the direction of travel of the thread leaving the thread guide element preferably is in a plane which includes the axis of the spindle. In such a manner the distance between said thread guide element and the point of arrival of the thread on the package may be maintained practically constant, and it is possible at high winding speeds advantageously used in the method according to the invention to promote the formation of regularly shaped types of yarn packages.

The operation of the correction device may, via a control element communicating therewith and a sensing device for said control element which is positioned near the winding spindle and which is sensitive to the reversal of the traverse motion of the thread along the spindle, be controlled to maintain the ratio of the frequency of the correcting motion of the thread guide element to that of the traverse motion constant and ensure a correct phase difference.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view in side elevation of an embodiment of a winding machine of invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 taken along the line II-II.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a yarn package with the thread supplied thereto showing the relative positions of a thread guide element of an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention when corrective motion is imparted thereto.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 the numeral 1 refers to a rotating spindle and the numeral 2 to a bobbin on spindle 1 which is caused to rotate as shown by the arrows by a driving means not shown thereby also rotating bobbin 2. A thread 4 is fed to bobbin 2 and wound thereon in the form of a package 3. Thread 4 is passed to bobbin 2 through a thread guiding means including a cylindrical tube member 5, a thread guide element 6, and a thread feed roll 7. Tube member 5 is provided with two opposed longitudinal slits 8 and 9 through which thread 4 runs in a direction transverse to the axis of tube member 5. Near the ends of tube 5 are positioned photo-electric cells 10 and 11 with lamps, which photoelectric cells are sensing devices and adapted to transmit signals to a gaseous fluid flow control element 12 by way of lines 13 and 14 respectively. Tube 5 is provided with conically expanded ends 15 and 16 into which air supply nozzles 17 and 18, respectively, discharge. Air supply nozzles 17 and 18 are connected to a compressed air source (not shown) by means of valves 19 and 20, respectively. Valves 19 and 20 are adapted to be opened and closed by control element 12 by means of signals transmitted thereto via lines 21 and 22, respectively.

Thread guide element 6 is fixedly attached to a pin 23 which pin is slidably mounted in a support member 24 and attached to tension spring 25. Tension spring 25 urges pin 23 continuously against the outer circumference of a non-circular disk 26 which is mounted on a shaft 27 supported in bearings 28 and 29. The rotation of shaft 27 is controlled by a control element 30 communicating and coupled, e.g., electro-mechanically, to control element 12 via line 31.

In the situation shown in the FIGURES 1 and 2 air valve 19 is open and the valve 20 is closed, so that compressed air flows through supply nozzle 17 and tube member 5 in the direction indicated by the solid arrows. This flow of air directly contacts thread 4 being fed through tube member 5 transverse the axis thereof as a result of which thread 4 is blown and conveyed in a direction toward photo-electric cell 11. When the traverse movement of thread 4 reaches the point at which photoelectric cell 11 is positioned, the latter is actuated and emits a signal to control element 12 which in response thereto shuts valve 19 and opens valve 20 whereupon compressed air flows through the supply nozzle 18 and tube member 5 in the direction (indicated by the brokenline arrows) of the photoelectric cell 10 and the direction of the traverse movement of the thread contacted thereby is reversed.

When the traverse motion of the thread reaches the point at which photo-electric cell 10 is located, the latter is actuated and emits a signal to control element 12 which in response thereto closes valve 20 and opens valve 19. At the above-mentioned relatively high winding speeds such an arrangement is adapted to obtain a satisfactorily proceeding traverse motion.

During the traversing of thread 4 through tube member 5 thread guide 6 is caused to undergo a correcting movement, the magnitude of which is represented by AA (see FIGURE 3), by correction device 26. In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 correction device 26 is in the form of a rotating non-circular disk which upon its rotation imparts to pin 23 and thread guide 6 attached thereto a to and fro movement in the directions indicated by the arrows. In FIGURE 3 the solid line 4 shown represents the yarn position as it arrives on package 3 at a reversing point of the traverse motion, and numeral 6 refers to the position of thread guide element 6 of FIGURES 2 and 4 at the corresponding point of time. The broken line 4 shown represents the yarn position at the time of its arrival on package 3 halfway between two reversing points, and numeral 6 refers to the position of the thread guide element 6 at the corresponding time. The magnitude of the correcting movement is shown as AA and said movement is such that with thread guide element 6 in position 6 or 6', as shown in FIGURE 3, or in all other of the possible remaining controlled positions, the distance between thread guide element 6 and the point of arrival of thread 4 on package 3 is substantially equal to A, as shown. The distance B (shown in FIGURE 2) between feed roll 7 and thread guide element 6 may be considerably smaller than the distance A shown in FIGURE 3.

The rotation of correction device 26 the correcting-motion to thread guide 6 is controlled by control element 30 which in its turn is actuated by photo-electric cell sensing elements 10 and 11 via control element 12. Said control of correction device 26 is such that the ratio of the frequency of the correcting motion to that of traverse motion is constant and a correct phase difference is ensured.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a yarn winding apparatus having a rotatable spinwhich imparts dle, a bobbin supported by said spindle for collecting yarn, and means for supplying yarn to said bobbin, the improvement residing in a yarn traverse which comprises a guiding element supported alongside and parallel to the axis of said spindle, means forming a longitudinal opening in said guiding element to permit the passage of yarn laterally therethrough, said opening extending at least the length of said bobbin to enable full yarn traverse strokes, means for directing pressurized fluid alternately in one direction and then in the opposite direction longitudinally through said guiding element in contact with yarn passed laterally therethrough to traverse the same on said bobbin, and means responsive to yarn movement along said opening for alternating the direction of fluid flow through said guiding element.

2. A yarn Winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guiding element comprises an elongated tube and wherein the longitudinal opening comprises slits on opposite sides of said tube.

3. A yarn winding apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said last named means comprises a photoelectric unit positioned at each end of said elongated tube to intercept yarn moving along said slits and to emit a signal in response thereto, and a control mechanism for receiving said signal and for reversing the direction of fluid flow through said tube and for reversing the direction of yarn traverse in response to signal reception.

4. A yarn winding apparatus as set forth in claim 3 and further comprising a correcting device operatively connected for shifting a portion of said yarn supply means toward and away from said bobbin to maintain a constant yarn length between said shiftable portion and said bobbin during yarn traverse in response to signals emitted by said photoelectric unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,548,523 4/1951 Dyer et al. 242-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 830,773 5/1938 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner. 

1. IN A YARN WINDING APPARATUS HAVING A ROTATABLE SPINDLE, A BOBBIN SUPPORTED BY SAID SPINDLE FOR COLLECTING YARN, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING YARN TO SAID BOBBIN, THE IMPROVEMENT RESIDING IN A YARN TRAVERSE WHICH COMPRISES A GUIDING ELEMENT SUPPORTED ALONGSIDE AND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE, MEANS FORMING A LONGITUDINAL OPENING IN SAID GUIDING ELEMENT TO PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF YARN LATERALLY THERETHROUGH, SAID OPENING EXTENDING AT LEAST THE LENGTH OF SAID BOBBIN TO ENABLE FULL YARN TRAVERSE STROKES, MEANS FOR DIRECTING PRESSURIZED FLUID ALTERNATELY IN ONE DIRECTION AND THEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID GUIDING ELEMENT IN CONTACT WITH YARN PASSED LATERALLY THERETHROUGH TO TRAVERSE THE SAME ON SAID BOBBIN, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO YARN MOVEMENT ALONG SAID OPENING FOR ALTERNATING THE DIRECTION OF FLUID FLOW THROUGH SAID GUIDING ELEMENT. 